Posted By Cristina Noriega at 09:35 PM | 0 Comments
Immigration reform, once a hot-button issue, has been largely ignored the past year, pushed aside while the financial crisis and health care reform dominate. But our nation’s immigration system is as broken as ever, and the need for reform remains urgent.
The good news is that while it might not have garnered many national headlines lately, immigration legislation hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s been slowly heating up for months. And now we’re closer than ever to achieving comprehensive immigration reform. The slow build began this past fall, when the faith community rallied around the need for reform, calling it a “human, moral issue.”
At the same time, Senators Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have been diligently working on a bill that they believe can get bipartisan support. They’re on the verge of introducing it later this month, and pushing for it’s passive aggressively. While cautiously optimistic about its potential for passage, Graham maintains that it will require the support of at least one more Republic Senator.
Could Texas’ John Cornyn (the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee) be the answer?
I sincerely hope so. The Republican Senator has long indicated he’d be willing to support the right comprehensive immigration reform bill, as he explained in this video.
And the faith community is hoping so too. According to Rick Casey’s recent article in the Houston Chronicle, they are reaching out to Cornyn. Three weeks ago, the Senator met with a Catholic archbishop, a Luteran bishop, rabbis, and other religious leaders to talk about the issue. According to the article:
They were also greeted by about 6,000 postcards piled in stacks on the large conference table around which the group would sit.
The men of the cloth wanted to talk to him about what they see as the biblical and moral imperative of immigration reform. But they also wanted to send a practical political message.
At a time when anger is the currency of the political realm, much of it aimed at illegal immigrants, the religious leaders were saying to Cornyn that they will have his back if he risks becoming a target of that anger by helping craft and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
This, combined with President Obama’s
recent immigration meetings, indicate that our nation is poised to try to pass an updated version of legislation that suffered a crushing defeat in 2007, when championed by the late Ted Kennedy and co-sponsor John McCain.
After meeting with Schumer, Cornyn is careful not to promise that reform will come this year, warning the religious community that a bill would not be passed this year:
That was set when Graham announced after meeting with Obama that efforts on immigration were dead if the president insisted on passing health care reform by a simple majority in the Senate.
But several of the religious leaders who met with Cornyn said they were glad to see the conversation begin in Washington again. And they plan to keep it going in their churches, building an ever larger constituency for reform.
I appreciate that goodwill for immigration reform remains, but I have to ask myself: if it doesn’t happen this year, then when? How much longer can we really afford to wait?
This, combined with President Obama’s recent immigration meetings, indicate that our nation is poised to try to pass an updated version of legislation that suffered a crushing defeat in 2007, when championed by the late Ted Kennedy and co-sponsor John McCain.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 07:14 PM | 0 Comments
Senators Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham have proposed using biometric identification cards as a requirement to work in the U.S. The cards would use fingerprint or hand data to identify every American in the workforce, making it harder for undocumented immigrants to gain work inside the country.
I came across this video on YouTube discussing the issue in detail:
What do you think? Would a national ID program an invasion of privacy, as the Cato Institute’s Jim Harper argues, or would it help with enforcement?
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 09:54 AM | 0 Comments
"The President Needs to Step it Up"
-Senator Lindsey Graham, to POLITICO, this past Tuesday
I feel like I've been providing piecemeal immigration updates for months now, analyzing every update, summit, delayed meeting, and Obama quote that materializes-- which reminds me, the meeting that was supposed to take place on Monday between Lindsey Graham and Obama was delayed until today.
But alas, I digress.
Every once in a while it's important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. This article in politico does just that. If you haven't been following the winding course, just read it and you'll pretty much know what I know. Some key excerpts:
Graham, less than thrilled at the notion of providing the equivalent of a book report to the headmaster in chief, said Obama’s lack of direction on immigration reform is hampering Graham’s efforts to recruit additional Republicans to the cause...For the past six months, Graham and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)...have worked on a reform framework. Their plan, which hasn’t been introduced yet, includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (a liberal must-have) while sweetening the pot for moderates by proposing tough new safeguards, including a biometric national ID card for workers. To the frustration of many reform advocates, Obama has kept his opinions of the possible deal vague, giving a head nod to reform in his State of the Union speech but not much more.
Another obstacle is bad timing:
At the moment, only a few brave congressional souls have walked the reform gangplank. With health care blanketing the capital like a horror-movie fog, and jobs, climate change and budget bills next in line for consideration, the chances of passing a politically risky immigration reform bill are somewhere between nil and exceptionally remote. The hope, instead, is to build a consensus around a measure that could pass sometime in the not too distant, non-election-year future.
Still, the risks of NOT acting this year are great.
The tough part for Obama, however, is that the Obama-Graham-Schumer summit is also being closely watched by Hispanic groups, who are demanding proof of action as a reward for their overwhelming support of Obama in 2008. With a massive March 21 pro-immigration reform rally planned for Washington, and Latinos the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Obama can ill afford to alienate them.
“For the Latino community in this country, it’s the civil rights issue of their time, so delay obviously adds to disillusionment,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a Cuban-American who has urged the administration to move more quickly.
That opinion is shared by a collection of Hispanic groups, who have pressured the White House in forceful terms, threatening to withdraw support if Obama doesn’t follow through on his commitment.
This is a tough one. As important as immigration reform is, it's only going to happen if Congress hears that's what Americans want. If you care about immigration reform, you'll take a moment to sign our petition and reach out to your rep- a phone call or simple letter will do- and tell them to pass comprehensive immigration reform now.
If you do nothing, don't be disappointed when nothing happens.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 11:18 AM | 0 Comments
While campaigning, Obama promised to address comprehensive immigration reform in 2009. Unfortunately, we saw it get pushed back as the ailing economy and a mammoth fight over health care reform took priority. In the meantime, many activist groups have grown tired of waiting, and plan a D.C. demonstration on March 21 to call for reform now.
Today, President Barack Obama will sit down with Senators Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham to finally talk immigration reform this evening. In anticipation of this event, the blogosphere has once again lit up on the issue, which is just beginning to reemerge from the shadows. Last June, Schumer introduced his seven pillars of reform, which are expected to be part of the Senate’s CIR bill.
Clarissa Martines De Castro, Director, Immigration and National Campaigns at the National Council of La Raza, asserted in the Huffington Post:
With the Congressional legislative runway getting crowded and time running out before the November elections, it is time to land this plane. Monday’s meeting must be followed by a clear, bipartisan proposal and a firm timeline for Senate action. Anything less will be regarded as more stalling by the tens of thousands coming to DC to march in two weeks.
FireDogLake reports that many grassroots organizations held a press conference today to criticize the administration’s handling of reform, specifically for "escalating immigrant deportations and call for an immediate end to all of them until the government enacts comprehensive immigration reform." Additionally:
Angelica Salas, the executive director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased over 60% since the beginning of the Obama Administration’s term, what comes out to 1,000 immigrants a day. She warned that Hispanic voters supported the Obama candidacy because they expected a change in policy, in particular an end to the raids and the separation of families.
I am eager to see what agreements today’s meeting produces. Updates coming soon.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 06:31 PM | 0 Comments
According to the LA Times, President Obama is turning his focus to immigration reform now-- despite reports that the chances had been growing slimmer by the minute. While the President had promised to address immigration reform his first year in office, it fell to the wayside in '09 when the economy and health care took priority (the latter of which is still struggling to materialize into actual law.)
Signs that the tide may be turning? According to the article:
Obama took up the issue privately with his staff Monday in a bid to advance a bill through Congress before lawmakers become too distracted by approaching midterm elections.
In the session, Obama and members of his Domestic Policy Council outlined ways to resuscitate the effort in a White House meeting with two senators -- Democrat Charles E. Schumer of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- who have spent months trying to craft a bill.
According to a person familiar with the meeting, the White House may ask Schumer and Graham to at least produce a blueprint that could be turned into legislative language.
The basis of a bill would include a path toward citizenship for the 10.8 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Citizenship would not be granted lightly, the White House said. Undocumented workers would need to register, pay taxes and pay a penalty for violating the law. Failure to comply might result in deportation.
The timeline is ambitious-- "a proposal must move by April or early May to have a realistic chance of passing this year", or risk being lost in the heat of the November Congressional elections. And given that an immigration rally is set to take place in Washington later this month, it really is now or never before the momentum is gone. Regardless, the risks of NOT pushing forward are too great:
Immigration is a delicate issue for the White House. After promising to revamp in his first year of office what many see as a fractured system, Obama risks angering a growing, politically potent Latino constituency if he defers the goal until 2011.
Congressman's Luis Gutierrez's CIR ASAP bill, which he introduced into the House this past December, is considered far too liberal to have a chance of passing. Therefore, the biggest obstacle will be gaining bipartisan support for a comprehensive bill. And according to the LA Times article, it won't be easy:
Schumer, speaking as he walked quickly through the Capitol, said he was having trouble rounding up Republican supporters apart from Graham. "It's tough finding someone, but we're trying," Schumer said.
On Thursday, Schumer met with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who oversees the government's immigration efforts, to strategize over potential Republican co-sponsors.
"We're very hopeful we can get a bill done. We have all the pieces in place. We just need a second Republican," Schumer said in a statement.
If immigration reform is to have any real chance, it's up to Schumer and Graham to reach a breakthrough compromise. When and if they do, Obama has indicated he's ready to support the bill. The reality is that Schumer and Graham need all the help they can get. Now more than ever it's critical that we write our Congress-members and ask them to support a comprehensive bill, and sign our petition asking them to take action now!
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 09:42 PM | 0 Comments
Mark Clark is an artist with a purpose. Frustrated by efforts to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, he decided to organize "Art Against the Wall", a collection of art protesting the border fence. Clark’s concept was far from traditional, which is precisely why he got my attention.
How? He decided to debut the artwork on the wall itself, using the newly-constructed barrier as a temporary exhibition space (the collection has since moved to a nearby gallery). What makes it even more compelling is the fact that the wall is incomplete, allowing viewers to easily see the art from both sides. According to the Brownsville Herald:
Brownsville’s stretch of border fence remains incomplete. Next to the artists exhibition spot the structure cuts off, with metal poles signifying the increments where it will eventually be completed. For now, artists could view their works from both sides of the fence. On one side they could see an oil painting of the Rio Grande, viewed fence-free from that very spot. Standing on the other side, they could see the river itself.
According to the article, the collection is a visual protest to the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The mix of mediums and messages adds depth to the non-traditional exhibit:
About a dozen artists hung or rested their work on the fence in Hope Park, overlooking the Rio Grande. A 30-foot ladder fashioned out of bamboo and twine, a wreath of ribbon and artificial flowers measuring 8 feet in diameter, and a deflated black inner tube that had been salvaged from along the riverbank were included in the exhibition. The art flapped in the breeze for about three and a half hours before stronger winds forced the artists inside.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol stood watch of the stretch of river under the Gateway International Bridge, maintaining a distance of about 100 yards from the artists. Some artists approached the agents, who reportedly asked questions about the event but kept their opinions to themselves.
I find it particularly poignant that the fence was built through a park named "Hope". While I’m not superstitious, I can’t help but to reflect on the symbolism. Nothing is less hopeful than a wall, yet hope remains-- perhaps one day we will realize that walls do not work, and this structure will come down.
Clark’s own piece-- "La Venganza de Moctezumam," or Moctezuma’s Revenge-- confronts the enormous fear that some Americans feel about Mexicans immigrating to the U.S., depicting "dozens of Mexican figures walking through a gap in the border fence into the United States.":
Among these were a shaman dispensing peyote buttons, Americans covering their ears at the sound of a mariachi band, an unemployed McDonald’s worker selling Mexican ice cream, Mayan women washing their clothes in a blonde woman’s swimming pool, a Mayan soccer player and an American soccer player kicking around the decapitated head of a Dallas Cowboys football player, a native Mexican carving hieroglyphs into tablets of the Ten Commandments, and a statue of George Washington lying disassembled on the ground.
David Freeman, a local art professor, is one of a dozen artists participating. According to the article, Freeman said "To me the wall represents everything that’s wrong with the United States...All the malfeasance and avarice. It’s anti-democratic and anti-integration."
Agreed. A physical barrier sends the wrong message-- we should instead be building a wall of wealth, helping our two nations to grow together instead of apart. A wall suppresses rather than encourages working together to find solutions that benefit our two nations.
Clark’s exhibit is successful on many levels, incorporating the wall into the core of the exhibit and choosing Hope Park as the venue. As a visual artist myself, I am always appreciative of art that pushes boundaries and makes people think. "Art Against the Wall" does just that, all without saying a word.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 10:11 AM | 0 Comments
Archbishop José Gomez, MATT Board Member, Goes to Haiti
The San Antonio Express news reports that Archbishop José Gomez is visiting Haiti today to assist in relief efforts. According to the Express:
"...today’s on-the-ground look at this earthquake-ravaged country is the first step in what will be a long and steady commitment by U.S. Catholics to aid the recovery.Charged with oversight of a $30 million-plus fund collected from parishes nationwide, Gomez is accompanied by two other bishops for a whirlwind tour of the devastation today and Wednesday.
As the largest faith group in the country, the Catholic church is an important institution in Haiti. And like the rest of the nation, it was seriously damaged by the January 12 quake, which killed nearly a quarter of a million people and left a million homeless.
"The Catholic Church suffered major losses to parishes and its historic Cathedrale Notre-Dame de l’Assomption downtown. The grand-arching roof is now rubble on the sanctuary floor. The walls still stand, but the once-spectacular stained glass windows are riddled with holes.
Among the Catholics who died was the beloved Port-au-Prince Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, as well as dozens of seminarians, priests and nuns."
Gomez hopes that trip will "show how much he and U.S. Catholics stand in support of the country" and said "I’m excited in the sense that I’m bringing the prayers and solidarity of the people of the U.S. and especially the people of San Antonio to the Catholics in Haiti.”
The Collection for the Church in Latin America usually amounts to $7 million to $10 million annually, but "has grown to at least $30 million this year because of the quake. All of it is set aside for Haiti, and Gomez will make recommendations about its use in coming months to the bishops conference."
Gomez is consulting with with four Haitian bishops to determine how the money could best be spent, a fact in which he takes comfort, saying “You get all kinds of reports, but you want to hear from the people in charge what are the real needs."
As a board member, Gomez has helped to bring humanitarian issues to the forefront of MATT’s outreach programs. He helped develop MATT Maestro en Casa, which teaches English to immigrants via free lessons broadcast over the Guadulupe radio network, and has also been instrumental in raising awareness for compassionate, humane, immigration reform.
We salute Archbishop Gomez for his work in Haiti and look forward to seeing how his efforts and those of the Catholic church will help in the rebuilding effort.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 11:34 AM | 1 Comments
According to an article in today’s BusinessWeek, Mexico’s economy is showing strong signs of recovery, with Mexican economists predicting an expansion of 3.87% in 2010. And this past December, retail sales increased for the first time in 16 months.
This is great news for Mexico, considering the hit it took due to the U.S. recession:
"Latin America’s second-biggest economy is recovering on increasing exports and improving domestic demand after it contracted 6.5 percent in 2010, the worst annual slump since 1932. The recession in the U.S., which buys about 80 percent of Mexico’s exports, crippled the $1.09 trillion economy last year as a decline in exports led to job losses and falling production...
The central bank said in a Feb. 19 statement that manufacturing was recovering “with greater strength” and improving industrial activity was helping boost domestic demand."
This news also is promising for the U.S. economy as a whole, since our two economies are so interdependent. We’re on the road to recovery.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 10:36 AM | 0 Comments
Yesterday, a friend and co-worker forwarded me an article in the New York Times, written by Indiana senator Evan Bayh, and posed the question "This article is... a reflection of our government today ... or is it?"
Last week, Bayh announced he is retiring from the Senate after serving for more than a decade. Why? According to the article:
Challenges of historic import threaten America’s future. Action on the deficit, economy, energy, health care and much more is imperative, yet our legislative institutions fail to act. Congress must be reformed.
There are many causes for the dysfunction: strident partisanship, unyielding ideology, a corrosive system of campaign financing, gerrymandering of House districts, endless filibusters, holds on executive appointees in the Senate, dwindling social interaction between senators of opposing parties and a caucus system that promotes party unity at the expense of bipartisan consensus.
It is this lack of social interaction, the refusal to socialize or be friends with members of the opposite party, that Bayh says is the core of the problem. But it didn’t always used to be this way, he explains:
When I was a boy, members of Congress from both parties, along with their families, would routinely visit our home for dinner or the holidays. This type of social interaction hardly ever happens today and we are the poorer for it. It is much harder to demonize someone when you know his family or have visited his home. Today, members routinely campaign against each other, raise donations against each other and force votes on trivial amendments written solely to provide fodder for the next negative attack ad. It’s difficult to work with members actively plotting your demise.
I, like many Americans, have been feeling this partisan divide for a while now, and have been sensing that things were slowly getting worse. But to hear to verbalized so eloquently by an active member of the Senate makes it that much more real.
Something has got to change, no doubt.
But in the midst of enormous challenges comes hope. This morning the Senate voted 70-28 to pass a $15 billion jobs package, giving Senate Democrats their first legislative victory of the year. And guess what? Thirteen Republicans got behind the bill too. According the The Hill, "Final passage of the bill was made possible by the support of Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.) and four other Republicans who voted Monday to cut off a GOP filibuster."
Wow.
The bill’s four major components include "a $13 billion tax credit for employers who hire new workers; greater flexibility of businesses to write off capital expenditures; $2 billion in Build America Bonds to lower municipal borrowing costs; and a $20 billion transfer in highway funding, which did not require a spending offset and counts toward the overall cost of the legislation."
Perhaps the Senate did indeed hear Senator Bayh’s words of wisdom. Maybe we already hit rock bottom...could we be on the road to the right path? As an eternal optimist, I would dare to say yes.
Posted By Cristina Noriega at 06:19 PM | 0 Comments
On February 11, Latino leaders gathered at the Texas State Capitol to promote the 2010 Census and encourage an accurate count. According to News 8 Austin:
"If we have a good count, we can get four congressmen. Every congressman means millions, hundreds of millions of dollars for each of those projects - roads, highways, schools," said Texas Rep. Aaron Pena (pictured above). "If we get a bad count, we’re going to end up with three and all that money that would have been appropriated for Texas is going to go to New York or California of somewhere else.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has sent a letter to Governor Rick Perry requesting the formation of a complete count committee for the state."
Rep. Peña, later blogged "The message I send to the citizens of Texas is that together we can have a successful 2010 Census and ensure that our voice is heard and that our people our counted."
MALDEF, in collaboration with grassroots leaders and organizations inluding MATT, has formed the Texas Latino Complete Count Committee in order to reach the hardest to count communities. MATT is proud to be a part of this important initiative.
to encourage Latinos to participate in the Census, called ¡Cuéntate…Porque Tú Vales! “Because You Count, Get Counted!” They also issued a press release
asking Texas Governor Rick Perry to step up and form a statewide complete count committee:
Most governors and states have recognized the importance of this once-in-a-decade opportunity to ensure that their constituents are counted. As a result, the U.S. Census Bureau reports at least 36 states have formed statewide complete count committees to help with the Census. Sadly, the Texas Governor has neither endorsed the U.S. Census, nor convened a Texas Complete Count Committee to create a plan for counting every Texan despite requests by legislators, the Census Bureau, and advocacy organizations including MALDEF.
It is imperative that Texas have a statewide strategy for an accurate and complete count. Texas has the second highest hard-to-count areas in the country. The populations in these areas include children and residents who are low-income, lack a high school diploma, are limited English proficient, live in multi-family homes, receive public assistance, and/or are highly mobile. The 2000 Census left an estimated 373,567 people in Texas uncounted. As a result, Texas missed out on approximately $2,913 in federal funds per person – a total loss of over $1 billion over the last decade. This decade, due to population growth, Texas is expected to gain three or four congressional seats in the next apportionment. The difference of one Congressional seat for Texas affects our ability to represent our interests at a national level. In addition, with an accurate Census count, Texas will gain a greater share of the over $400 billion distributed annually to communities across the count ry for programs such as school construction, early childhood programs, services to the elderly, job training programs and roads. These are funds that Texas desperately needs to ensure its economic stability.
MATT is further participating in the census effort by devoting our fifth MATT Maestro en Casa book to the topic, the lesson of which will air on March 9, 2010. It’s one of the ways we are reaching out to the immigrant community to inform them about the Census and encourage them to participate.
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